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Oldest Evidence Of Leprosy Found In India
A biological anthropologist from Appalachian State

NYT Examines Effects Of Illegal Abortion On Maternal Mortality In Tanzania
The New York Times on Tuesday examined how botched abortion procedures contribute to maternal mortality in Tanzania, in the second of a three-part series on pregnancy- and childbirth-related deaths in the country. The Times reports that the lack of abortion rights in Tanzania -- where the procedure is illegal except in cases where the woman"s life or health is at risk -- has prompted pregnant women and girls to seek the procedure from people who have not been trained to perform such procedures. In some cases, these untrained providers give the pregnant women herbs before performing abortions by punching the pregnant women"s stomachs or inserting objects into the vagina and uterus. Local hospitals in Tanzania often have to correct mistakes made by the untrained abortion providers. For example, during the month of January, 17 of the 31 minor surgical procedures performed at one Tanzanian hospital were to correct the results of "incomplete abortions."Africa has the world"s highest maternal mortality rate -- at least 100 times that of developed countries -- making pregnancy and childbirth among the most serious health dangers that African women face, according to the Times. Abortion accounts for a significant portion of those deaths. Tanzania has a maternal mortality rate of 950 deaths for every 100,000 births, a figure that is "neither the best nor the worst in Africa," the Times reports.Because most abortions in Tanzania are performed illegally, there are no reliable abortion figures for the country. However, the World Health Organization estimates that Eastern Africa, where Tanzania is located, has the world"s second-highest rate of unsafe abortions. Abortion rates typically decrease with increased contraceptive use, the Times reports. Only about one-quarter of Tanzanians use contraception in part because of misinformation that girls receive about the safety of condoms and hormonal contraceptives. By comparison, Kenya and South Africa both have higher contraception use and lower maternal mortality. However, in countries such as Sierra Leone and Nigeria, where abortion is not available on request, contraception use is lower than in Tanzania, and maternal mortality is much higher (Grady, New York Times, 6/2).
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Rapid Changes In Clinical Practice For Drug-Eluting Stents Due To Fast Release Of Data
E-mail, search engines, smart phones and other new technologies that can disseminate new medical information quickly led to an almost immediate change in clinical practice for drug-eluting stents, according to a study reported in Circulation: Cardiovascular Quality and Outcomes.
Diagnostics

Health Lobbying Means Cash Infusion For Candidates, TV StationsKaiser

"Health care groups working feverishly to shape -- or kill -- an industry-wide reform bill are lavishing campaign cash on the politicians at the center of the debate," The Salt Lake (Utah) Tribune reports. Sens. Orrin Hatch and Max Baucus, both major health reform players on the Senate Finance Committee, are among those benefiting form the uptick in contributions. One lobbyist for the watchdog group Public Citizen said, "A person can reach no other conclusion than this is quid pro quo activity" (Canham, 7/27). In the second quarter of this year, groups spent $257.5 million, CQ Politics reports. That number shows "the breadth of interest in the issue. Those lobbying Congress and federal officials on health care include banks, high-tech companies, automobile manufacturers and oil companies, as well as hospitals, doctors" groups and drug companies." Various campaigns by advocacy groups in particular seek to push or derail reform efforts (Roth and Knott, 7/26). The lobbying is also shaping unusual alliances. Service Employees International Union President Andy Stern, for instance, has cultivated a relationship with Wal-Mart, which he is leveraging to gain attention in Washington, the Wall Street Journal reports. SEIU and Wal-Mart sent a joint letter to the White House last month, drawing attention because the workers and the major employer have previously clashed over labor issues. "Mr. Stern said the Wal-Mart alliance has helped open doors with lawmakers" (Trottman, 7/27). Charlotte Observer: "It"s July in a nonelection year, but the state"s political machinery is fully engaged. Rallies, phone banks and door-to-door canvassing are under way, TV commercials fill airwaves, and petitions appear beside ripe tomatoes at farmers markets." A concentration of conservative Democrats who could make or break reform efforts, as well as health industry staples like GlaxoSmithKline, make North Carolina a critical battleground for lobbyists and activists alike (Christensen, 7/26). The lobbying boom has also formed a much-needed opportunity for television stations, the Wall Street Journal reports in a separate story. "Altogether, groups on various sides of the debate have spent an average of about $1 million a day in recent weeks [on advertising meant to sway the reform debate], analysts say." The paper adds: "So far the lion"s share of dollars in the health-care debate has been spent on local-TV stations and national cable news networks, such as Time Warner"s CNN and News Corp."s Fox News" (Vranica and Mundy, 7/27). The New York Times: Meanwhile, lawmakers are seeking to fight back against some television ad campaigns. Several proposals circulating in Congress would ban some drug ads. One would outlaw ads for drugs like Viagra on decency grounds, while another would attempt to block ads because "you should not be diagnosed by some pitchman on TV," as Rep. Jerrold Nadler, D-N.Y., who introduced the bill, put it (Singer, 7/26). This information was reprinted from kaiserhealthnews.org with kind permission from the Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation. You can view the entire Kaiser Daily Health Policy Report, search the archives and sign up for email delivery at kaiserhealthnews.org. © Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation. All rights reserved.


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